Chapter 185

"I have observed the historical records of ancient and modern times; after long periods of peace under heaven, treacherous ministers often seize power."

"In your opinion, how should our Great Ming avoid civil officials monopolizing power? If future rulers fail to notice and are coerced by civil officials, do you have a Method to break the deadlock?"

Zhu Yuanzhang scrutinized Su Qiao carefully.

If Su Qiao would just say something soft to Old Zhu at this moment.

Or flatter him a couple of times.

It would confirm Zhu Yuanzhang's suspicion.

Zhu Yuanzhang would also have no hesitation in directly ordering Su Qiao's death.

However, Old Zhu did not expect that after hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's question.

Su Qiao looked helplessly at Zhu Yuanzhang and said,

"How to avoid it is naturally simple."

"How future rulers break the deadlock is also simple."

"Because there is only one stumbling block."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately perked up, staring intently at Su Qiao and asking,

"What is the stumbling block?"

Su Qiao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and bowed slightly, saying,

"The stumbling block is precisely Your Majesty!"

The words had barely left his mouth.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly felt he had been played.

540 Su Qiao's words were like a slap, striking Old Zhu's face hard.

Flushed with anger, Zhu Yuanzhang stared intently at Su Qiao and roared,

"I am speaking of future rulers! How can future civil officials monopolizing power be blamed on me?!"

Su Qiao stared intently at Zhu Yuanzhang and said,

"Because Your Majesty encouraged the imperial examinations and agriculture! Because in our Great Ming, all professions are inferior, only studying is noble!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the table and roared,

"Yes! The people of Great Ming do not engage in agriculture; does the grain just fall from the sky across the land?"

"If no one farms, Great Ming indeed will have no powerful ministers monopolizing power, but the world should descend into chaos!"

Su Qiao countered directly, saying,

"No one denies His Majesty's merit, but does Your Majesty know that every single national policy currently implemented by Your Majesty benefits the present while bringing harm for a thousand generations?!"

Benefits the present.

Harm for a thousand generations!

Hearing these eight characters.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt the world spin in an instant.

"A fine 'benefits the present, harm for a thousand generations'."

"When the future rulers govern the world, will people no longer eat grain? Will they no longer need to farm?!"

Su Qiao's heart felt like ten thousand horses galloping.

"Future generations still need to eat grain and still need to farm. With a prosperous age increasing the population, does Your Majesty truly believe the land under heaven is inexhaustible and endless?"

"Your Majesty closed the borders and banned the seas to resist the Japanese pirates, which could secure peace for several generations; this is the first!"

"But Your Majesty did not foresee that this act is no different than locking all Han people within the Central Plains!"

"How is this any different than choking on food and abandoning eating?"

"Your Majesty encourages the imperial examinations and agriculture, but Your Majesty knows better than anyone that regarding farming and sericulture, it is easy for the poor to make a living but hard to rise up. Does Your Majesty know what the result is?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face grew gloomy; he stared intently at Su Qiao and asked,

"What is the result?"

"The poor become poorer, the rich become richer!"

"Civil officials pass their status down through generations; the son of a current Grand Secretary is, at the very least, a Juren."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was nearly twisted as he growled,

"Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes! A family that passes down farming and studying; if one becomes a current Grand Secretary, naturally they have a family tradition. What harm is there in passing it down through generations? As long as they have talent, they can be used by the ruler!"

Su Qiao could not help but sneer, saying,

"Absurd!"

"Did Your Majesty rise up in rebellion because you were taught by Emperor Renzu?!"

"What 'passing down through generations'? It is merely those civil officials seizing resources and monopolizing education!"

"You are presumptuous!"

With these words spoken.

All the Emperors in the chat group fell silent.

Zhu Houcong could not help but look at Zhu Di behind him and ask,

"Great-Grandfather, has this person always been this bold?"

The corner of Zhu Di's mouth twitched slightly.

Although unwilling.

He still could not help but nod.

Looking at Su Qiao in the scene, Jiajing could not help but murmur,

"Now I finally understand why Taizu wanted to order his death..."

122, the non-stick wok Jiajing!

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang in the courtyard.

Su Qiao took a deep breath and said calmly,

"The Way of Heaven diminishes the excess to supplement the insufficient; the Way of Man diminishes the insufficient to serve the excess."

"A principle from over a thousand years ago—does Your Majesty truly not understand it?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's old face grew gloomy.

"Do you think we do not know to diminish the excess to supplement the insufficient?!"

"The key is how our Great Ming can diminish the excess to supplement the insufficient?! We cannot simply lead the Embroidered Uniform Guard out to attack the wealthy gentry and distribute their wealth to the poor farmers across the realm, can we?! How often have we not wished for every person in the realm to have food and clothing?!"

"But the realm has only this much land, and produces only this much grain each year. What do you want us to do, and what do you want the future monarchs of our Great Ming to do?!"

Su Qiao shrugged and said,

"Simple!"

"Give all the common people of the realm a fair chance to compete."

"Do not let the common people of the realm feel that only studying can bring glory to their ancestors!"

"This measure is not to ask Your Majesty to abolish the laws that prioritize agriculture!"

"Agriculture, industry, and commerce must all be promoted together."

"Make the common people of the realm know that studying is not the only way to rise!"

"Fighting enemies on the battlefield is a way to rise; conducting trade north and south is a way to rise; even strange skills and frivolous crafts, as long as they benefit the realm, can also be a way to rise!"

"And the focus of all this can be placed on one thing!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, along with the hearts of the emperors in the chat group, immediately rose in suspense.

"What is it?!"

Su Qiao stared fiercely at Zhu Yuanzhang and said,

"Open the seas!"

Among the group of emperors, only Zhu Houcong's eyes flashed with a glint of sharp light.

Putting aside other factors, among the emperors of the vast five thousand years, Emperor Jiajing's mind was absolutely among the top few.

The prototype of the Juzheng's reforms, which ultimately extended the life of the Great Ming dynasty by fifty years, was actually first launched by Jiajing and the then Grand Secretary Gui E in Jiangnan at the very beginning of Jiajing's reign.

However, later, with the implementation of the Single Whip Law, Zhu Houcong gradually discovered the crux of this reform, realizing that the Single Whip Law could only treat the symptoms but not the root cause, and subsequently Gui E suddenly passed away.

Jiajing was then forced to abandon the Single Whip Law.

The so-called Single Whip Law.

Its essence was to convert the Tian Fu, corvée labor, and capitation silver entirely into silver for collection and conscription.